New Mexico Adventure Week Two

     Our second week with the Coopers began with a trip to the White Sands National Monument. It was amazing!

New Mexico Adventure - Week 1

     For several months, Savana, LilyAnn, and I have been eagerly anticipating a trip out west with Mamaw to visit the Coopers (Aunt GieGie, Uncle Mark, and cousins.) Finally, the much-awaited day came and we loaded up in the van for the first leg of the trip - from our house to Mamaw's. Michael and Hanna drove us over there, stayed the night with all of us, and took us to Tallahassee the next morning (Monday) to pick up the rental van.

The travelers.

Spring Morning

     Yesterday morning I was blessed to just enjoy the moment and my two youngest siblings. Frank and Anna Frances went out with me to do the chores and we had a great time. (Sorry for the poor phone picture quality.)

Frankie informed me when we first went out that he was "Frankie Farmer." I changed his name to Farmer Frank and in that role, he fed Buttercup...

Hurricane Irma: The Weekend I Took 9 Dogs to Church

I'm sure everyone reading this blog has either experienced hurricane Irma or seen it on the news.  Just for the record though, I will mention that it was the largest recorded storm in the Atlantic (outside of the Carribean) with peak sustained wind speeds of about 185 mph.  It was larger than the state of Florida, and predicted to travel right up the middle of the state after making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane.  That's a strong storm!

Because it was so strong and we live in a mobile home, we deemed it would be prudent for us to get out of the way, so we evacuated to church.  A number of other families had the same idea, so we all got to camp out Sunday afternoon - Monday morning.  It was so much fun!

For those who are wondering about the title:  I have a litter of 6 Border Collie puppies right now, plus my three breeding dogs.  I couldn't exactly leave them behind, so they got to come along.

A Blog Post That is Only About Our Family and Life

Warning:

This blog post relates strictly to our family life for the last couple weeks and has no book recommendations or apologetic discussions whatsoever.

:D

I am not very good at updating the blog about what has been going on in our family (as you have probably all noticed!)  So...  now that I have a few free minutes, I will try to share some pictures.

Evan + Joanna... (extremely belated)

I'll admit it:  I was discouraged about this blog post.  Not because the subject is not wonderful - it is - but because I was silly enough to close down the tab where I had written the wordy part of the original post without saving it.  Yes, I know that is a really bad reason to put off sharing these pictures until three months after the wedding, but - well, I just let other stuff get in my way.  Sorry about that!  Anyway, I don't have time to write a long description now, so I will basically just be sharing the photos.  Enjoy a (very belated) review of a very special day!
(Oh, yes - I will confess right now that these pictures (and some captions) are the same ones Savana used on the family blog, so sorry, only the text is new...)

December 12th, 2016

Thanks to our friend Anna, there are many precious moments captured for us all to enjoy!

Farrah & Joshua Wedding, Part 2: Ceremony

Sorry it has taken me so long to get to this post...  I've been waiting until I had more pictures, and life has just been busy...

The ceremony and reception for Farrah and Joshua was beautiful and God-honoring.  It was so special to be included in the moment when these two were united as man and wife.

Farrah waiting to go into the sanctuary.

Joshua + Farrah Wedding, Part 1: Behind the Scenes

November 10th, 2016

Farrah and Joshua had been engaged for several months and now the big day when they would begin their new life together was almost here.  We had all been scurrying around the house (and town) assembling decorations, mixing tea, and purchasing food.  We had decided to rent the First Baptist Church in Williston since we were expecting a larger crowd than our church could comfortably handle.  We had made careful plans for how to decorate the church and the gym where the reception would be held, but could not put them into effect until the Thursday before the wedding because the church would probably need the gym Wednesday night.  So we waited and prepared.   Wednesday night we loaded up the chairs and tables from our church fellowship hall and took them over to the gym.  With plenty of hands we were able to work fast and unload all the tables and chairs in just about twenty minutes, stacking them to one side of the gym where they would be ready for us the next day.

Then, two days before the wedding, the setup began...

How do we turn this gym into a beautiful reception hall?  Farrah had done a lot of research (especially on Pinterest) and come up with some good ideas; plus Mama and Mamaw are both excellent decorators, so we had good hopes.

7:30 AM, Thursday, the first detachment arrived at the church.  Joshua, Farrah, Bo, Savana and I picked up food, wedding clothes, and decorating supplies from Evan's house (where the first few guests had already arrived) and our church (Faith Baptist Tabernacle).

Bo carting in a heavy load of supplies on an old dolly (minus a wheel) which he found in the gym.

Savana was a true "Maid" of honor...  She ironed all the wedding party's clothes, from Farrah's dress to Frankie's vest.  It took hours of hot, solitary work in the store-room on the second floor of the church.  Her help was such a blessing!

View of the musicians from the baptistery...

While Savana ironed and Farrah and Joshua directed the placement of tables, LilyAnn and I gave Mrs. E. and Christina a tour of the church, then had some fun pretending to be bridesmaids walking down the aisle while Charity and Haley practiced the music.  (I know, we were kind of goofing off, but there wasn't really any work for us at the moment and a joyful heart does good like a medicine, you know!)

Note the folded up bleachers on the balcony near the top center of this photo...

When we went back to the gym, where we were supposed to be working, we found that they had made good progress:  all the tables were set out (and carefully spaced with a measuring tape), and the young men had somehow managed to lift a heavy set of bleachers to the balcony above.  I heard that it was a dramatic scene, with some pushing and some hanging upside down from the rail above pulling...  I'm just glad everyone (including the bleachers and the railing) survived the ordeal!

There was a wonderful industrial kitchen to work in; it was great!  Sadly though, I was not involved in any cooking.  Joshua and Farrah took a group of young men over to the church on Friday and they did it all.

The food table all set up.

Farrah found this lovely idea on Pinterest and Anna Morgan, who also photographed the wedding, put the tables together, with some helpers.

Just as we were about to break for lunch, as I was taping tablecloths on the tables, word went round that the Siefkas had arrived, several hours before we were expecting them.  Yippee!  We now had more friends to fellowship with, and lots more help with the decorations.

Anna and Glory putting the lights on the high table.

The Wilsons stopped in for a while and the girls helped watch the younger children while Farrah went over the food plans with Mrs. Wilson, who was coordinating everything in the kitchen the day of the wedding.

At one point we thought we were going to hang a curtain of lights from the balcony behind the high table, and several of us were at work untangling them and attaching them to the rail.  But when we turned them on, they were LED lights and clashed badly with the rest of the lights we used, so sadly the light curtain idea had to be discarded.

This is the sanctuary the night of the rehearsal (Friday).  We were doing a little decorating in here after the rehearsal.

Saturday, November 12th!

Finally the big day came!  It was cool and beautiful outside, with a cloudless sky and soft air; perfect for a wedding.  I wanted to go with the first wave of workers to the church at 7 AM, so I headed outside around 6 to do the chores (milking a cow, feeding the horses and goats).  Well, the night before at the rehearsal, a call had come in that my goats were loose.  I had forgotten all about it in the action going on at the church, and just sort of assumed the guy who called had put them away.  Not so...  I found the door of the feed shed open, and panic struck as I envisioned the bucks I had borrowed from a friend croaked over on their backs with bloat from the amount of grain they had stolen.  (When an animal eats too much grain too quickly it can cause bloat (an undue gas buildup in the belly) and can kill them in a matter of hours.)  My Nubian doe, Mabel, was still in the field for a wonder, and I immediately began searching for the three missing goats.

Lo and behold, the goats had chosen that night of all nights to get out of the pasture and get tangled in our soccer net!  And of course the goat which was tangled the worst was a friend's buck which I was borrowing, and he was the favorite goat of his owner's family.  :(  Really though, this was the Lord's protection of them, since it kept them from eating all that grain and dying of bloat.

Thankfully, I was able to untangle them without too much trouble and without having to cut the net.  Then I was able to herd/ drag them back to their pasture (with some help from Cleone and a palmetto switch), milk the cow, and get back inside.  I was in high gear, so gave the milk to Joshua to strain, then dashed into the bedroom where our family was meeting  for a time of prayer and saying goodbye to Farrah.

It was a very short, but special time as we realized more fully what she has been to our family, and the reality that she was leaving began to sink in.  I was especially touched to see how touched my younger brothers were as we said goodbye.  It was good to take a few moments out of the roar and rush of the morning to pray and thank the Lord for the years she had been with us.

Joanna and Charity.

After a hasty (read "gulped as fast as possible") breakfast, I went to the church with Farrah, Joshua, Savana and Stephen (Joshua's youngest brother).  There I ironed the aprons for the servers (which had somehow been lost amongst the rest of the conglomeration of miscellaneous articles in the kitchen until the night before), then got dressed and had my hair done by Glory.  She was kept busy fixing everyone's hair that morning, and it was such a blessing she was able to do it!

All the bridesmaids, flower girls, and bride were supposed to have their pictures taken at 9 AM, but Emaline and Anna Frances (both flower girls) did not arrive until about 9:10.  A couple of us bridesmaids were lying in wait for them when they showed up and whisked them off to the upstairs bathroom/ dressing room at full speed.  I dressed Anna Frances at racing speed, Glory did their hair, and we hurried out to get the pictures, a little late, but with enough time to get them done.

And then, when all the pictures were taken, and everything was in place, we found ourselves lined up in the hallway outside the sanctuary, greeting people as they came into the foyer.  Eventually someone decided that really the wedding party should not also be the welcoming committee and we were hustled into a side room until the ceremony was to start.

And we waited for the clock to reach 11:00, when Farrah's new life would begin...

"Over the sandhills and through the swamps, to Mamaw's house we go..."

Sunday afternoon after church, the whole family, including Duncan, loaded up and headed over to Mamaw's and Bompa's.  We stayed overnight, and celebrated my 23rd birthday, and Frank's 1st birthday.  It was a fun time!

Warning:  This is a long post with lots of pictures.  I had lots of fun posting them; partly because the day is still fresh on my mind, and partly because I got to it before Savana!  :)

Frankie started a new workout program.

(Isn't he just as cute as he can be?!)

"If I faithfully lift weights, I will be strong.  This is serious."

"You know, Mama, you should lift weights too!  It's good for everyone."

A Very Special Announcement

July 1st, 2016, is a day that Farrah will always remember...

For on that day, just at sunset on the shore of Lake Michigan, she was asked the most special question of her life...

And she joyfully said "YES"!

We are excited and blessed at the way the Lord has brought Farrah and Joshua together.  He has led them both through courtship, as Joshua first approached Daddy, and later talked to Farrah in a group setting with all the parents.  As their relationship grew, they became closer and their hearts were knit together as they felt the Lord leading them toward marriage.

Now we get to watch as they plan the wedding and their new life together.  I have seen Farrah blossom in new ways, and am looking forward to having Joshua Siefka as a brother- even though he will be taking my sister to his home state of Michigan.

"The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad."

Psalm 126:3

*I hope to post the fuller story about Farrah and Joshua later.*

Happy Birthday, Anna Frances!

Picnic on the Ichetucknee

I know this blog post is terribly late, but I wanted to share it anyway.

For Evan's and Justice's birthday, we took a family trip down the Ichetucknee River.  One canoe and about five inflatable innertubes carried our whole family down the river.  Well, several members swam most of the way, but of course they could rest holding onto the rafts or canoe whenever they needed to, or switch with someone on a tube.

My New Puppy

Well, the title isn't really accurate...  It should have been "My dog that was a new puppy last year", but that would sound silly.  This blog post is a bit late, but now it will be more informative.  :)

In July, when we took a family vacation, we also picked up Cleone, my first registered Border collie.

I have been wanting for some time to begin breeding Border collies, and finally my hope is on the way to becoming a reality.  Our family vacation was the perfect opportunity to research a wider range of breeders, and find just the right puppy.

The Daisy Chain, and The Trial, by Charlotte Mary Yonge

The Daisy Chain, and The Trial

By Charlotte M. Yonge

    Set in 19th century England, The Daisy Chain is the story of a country doctor’s large family.  The characters in this story are many and varied:  from the quiet and gentle Richard, to impulsive and awkward Ethel; self-possessed Flora and emotional and brilliant Norman.  There are eleven children, and each has his or her own character.  The Doctor himself is much like Ethel; impulsive, warm hearted, intelligent, and kind.  He is far from perfect, however, and sometimes his hasty words and actions startle his children, or cause misunderstandings in the town.

Family trip to Old St. Augustine (December, 2015)

Back when we used to live in Palm Coast, we would go to old St. Augustine every winter and spend time touring the streets, and admiring the Christmas light displays.  We would usually eat at a pizza restaurant, and then finish off with ice cream before loading up to head home.  It was a fun tradition that was eagerly anticipated and enjoyed every year, until we moved from Palm Coast out to the country.  That was twelve years ago, and we didn't make it over to St. Augustine again...

That is, until this year.

Welcome Frank Richard Feldman!

Tonight, August 26, 2015, Frank Richard Feldman entered the world, surrounded by family and friends.

He is very healthy and sweet.  The home birth went very well, and Mama and baby are both doing well.

Waiting for Frank...

He was born on Aunt Angie's birthday.  What a special birthday gift!

 He's here!

Evan, Bo, William and Justice were all at prayer meeting, but Russell and Anna-Frances were delighted to meet their new brother.  He is well loved!

Happy Birthday William!

William is a blessing to our family.  

He is very loving, and I have enjoyed watching him develop a thirst for learning.  

His compassionate spirit and creativity are a joy to observe, as he explores our property and the nearby woods.

He is almost always eager for a game of soccer, and is one of our best players.

Happy 11th Birthday William!

Happy Birthday Mama!

I am so blessed to have the mother the Lord has given me.

She loves the Lord, and loves and honors my father;

She always loves us, even when we are not very lovable;

She seeks the Lord for strength and wisdom in raising us, and prays for us every day;

She is always at work for the betterment of her family, whether she's revising the schedule, researching healthier meal choices, or keeping the laundry moving;

She has embraced the Lord's will for her to bear and raise children, and has cherished every one of us.

Mama has truly served and loved our family selflessly.  Even as I was searching for a picture of her for this blog post, this was impressed upon me, for I could not find a picture of Mama by herself.  She is always with us in all the pictures; devoting her life to the course the Lord has chosen for her.

We are so thankful for Mama, and bless the Lord for her love, and godly example.

"Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates."

Proverbs 31:31

The Chronicles of Narnia: Allegory or Trojan Horse?

First, let me say that I did not write this blog post to cause trouble, or be controversial.  I write it in sincere love to my brothers and sisters in Christ who may not recognize this series of books for what it really is.  I know this is a rather lengthy article, but please read it anyway, especially if you are a fan of The Chronicles of Narnia, or know people who are.

My prayer is that the Lord will speak through this article, and that only what is true will be presented.

Snapshots From Our Vacation~ Pt. 4: Michigan Visit

From Kentucky, we went to visit some friends in Michigan for a week.  We had a wonderful time!

We:

 Sang around the campfire,